Can top piercing tool



Nov. 15, 1955 A. J. CARACCIOLO 2,723,450

CAN TOP PIERCING TOOL Filed Sept. 22, 1954 IN V EN TOR. ANGELO J. CARAGCIOLO ATTORNEY United States Patent CAN TOP PIERCING TOOL Angelo J. Caracciolo, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 22, 1954, Serial No. 457,613

8 Claims. (Cl. 306.1)

The present invention relates to piercing tools for cans and more particularly to piercing tools which form both a pouring opening and a vent hole in the can top, in a single operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel can piercing tool capable of forming both a pouring opening and a vent hole in one operation. Another object is to provide such a can piercing tool which operates in a novel manner, and with little effort, to form adequate size openings for venting and pouring.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention are apparent in the following detailed description, appended claims and accompanying drawings.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are presently preferred; the present invention, however, not being limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities therein shown.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout:

Figure l is a perspective view of a can piercing tool forming one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a reduced scale view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the tool of Fig. 1 attached to a can, at the start of a piercing operation.

Figure 3 is a view like that of Fig. 2, but showing a subsequent stage, in which the pouring opening has been partly cut, but in which the vent hole has not yet been formed.

Figure 4 is a view like those of Figs. 2 and 3, but showing a still later stage in which the first step in the formation of the vent hole has been taken.

Figure 5 is a View like those of Figs. 24, but showing the final stage, in which both the pouring hole and the vent hole have been fully formed.

Figure 6 isa fragmentary perspective view, like that of Fig. l, but showing another embodiment in which the cutter element is formed as an integral part of the body, instead of as a separate piece aflixed thereto.

In Figs. 15, there is shown a can piercing tool embodying this invention. The tool includes a body 10 integrally formed of relatively thin flat ribbon steel or the like, with a handle 12 affixed to one end 14 thereof. The body 10 is relatively rigid and form-retaining and includes an intermediate portion 16 which is bent so that it curves continuously through about 90 degrees of arc, and terminates in a free end portion 18 which is generally plane and disposed more or less at right angles to the handle end 14.

A relatively small sharp vent hole piercing lug 20 is integrally struck out from the intermediate bent portion 16, generally at the midpoint of the curve, so that it protrudes outward from the convex face 22 of said portion 16, in normal relation thereto.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1-5, a separate cutter element 26 is aflixed to the free end portion 18 ofthe body 10, as for example by a pair of rivets 24. The cutter element is integrally formed of thin flat ribbon steel or 2,723,450 Patented Nov. 15, 1955 ice the like and includes a plane shank portion 28 extending inwardly from the free edge of the end portion 18 and secured to said end portion by the rivets 24, in juxtaposed abutting relationship therewith.

At the inner end of the shank portion 28, there is formed a pouring opening cutter 30 having converging sharp edges 32 which meet in a piercing point 34. The cutter 30 is bent relative to the shank portion 28 so as to diverge from the convex face 22.

A head engaging hook 36 is integrally struck out from the base of the cutter 30 and is bent sufliciently to enable it to fit beneath, and engage with, the peripheral bead 38 around the circular end or top wall 40 of a conventional can 42 for beer, soda water or any other pourable liquid.

The manner of use of my can piercing tool is illustrated in Figs. 2 to 5.

Thus, the tool is first placed in position, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the hook 36 engages beneath the can bead 38, with the cutter 30 above and generally parallel to the can wall 40, and with the plane handle end 14 disposed at an obtuse angle of about 135 degrees to the can wall 40.

The handle 12 is then moved (toward the left in Fig. 2) so that the tool pivots counterclockwise. During this pivotation, the can bead 38 acts as the fulcrum, and the cutter is tilted downwardly to puncture the wall 40; the cutter point 34 first piercing the wall and the edges 32 then progressively forming a generally triangular pouring opening 44 near the periphery of the wall 40.

In Fig. 3, this preliminary counterclockwise pivotation of the tool is shown as having progressed through about 45 degrees so that the plane handle end 14 is now generally upright and perpendicular (i. e., at degrees) to the can wall 40. However, the small piercing lug 20 has not yet moved down into contact with the can wall 40 in the position of Fig. 3.

As the tool continues to tilt counterclockwise about the bead 38, the lug is forced against the wall 40 and pierces it in what is essentially a straight thrust delivered at an obtuse angle of approximately 112 /2 degrees, as shown in Fig. 4. Since the lug 20 is at the center of, and is normal to, the 90 degree arcuate portion 16 of the body 10, it is necessarily at a 45 degree angle to the planehandle end 14, which, accordingly, is at an acute angle of approximately 67 /2 degrees to the wall 40 in the position of Fig. 4.

This pivotation of the tool about the head 38 continues slightly beyond the position of Fig. 4, until the convex face 22 of the curved body portion contacts the wall 40 at a point 46 which is about half-way intermediate the lug 20 and the end 48 of said curved portion. Thereafter, the tool no longer pivots about the head 38 and, instead, the convex face 22 rolls along the wall 40. In other words, the center of pivotation of the tool is shifted inwardly and away from the bead, which causes the lug 20 to swing to a more nearly normal angle relative to the wall 48 and, in so doing, to cut a somewhat elongated vent hole 50 in the wall 40 at a point spaced appreciably away from the pouring opening 44, as shown in Fig. 5.

It can be seen that the novel tool ofthe present invention thus provides a shifting pivot, from an initial fulcrum at the can head, to a subsequent rolling pivot along the can wall. This pivot shift increases the extent of linear movement of the small piercing lug relative to the can wall and gives a larger and more effective vent hole, while still retaining the small size lug which makes for easier initial piercing of the can wall.

The shift in pivotation also partially frees the hook 36 from the bead 38 and makes it easier to remove the tool by a straight upward lifting, after the piercing 0D- eration has been completed.

In Fig. 6, there is shown another embodiment of the present invention which generally resembles the embodiment of Fig. 1, except that, instead of employing a separate cutter element, riveted to the free end of the body 10, I construct the cutter element as an integral part of the body.

Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, I form the cutter element 26a by folding the end portion 18-a back on itself along the line 29, so that the shank portion 23-a (which is now an integral continuation of the end portion 18-12) extends inwardly in side-by-side abutting relationship to the plane end portion 18a. The remaining parts of the cutter element (namely the cutter 30, the edges 32, the point 34, and the bead engaging hook 36) are identical with the corresponding parts of the embodiment of Fig. 1.

Since there is no need for the connecting rivets 24, it is apparent that the end portion 18a can be shortened, as compared to the embodiment of Fig. 1, so that the fold line 29 is closely adjacent the base of the book 36.

The present embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive and, therefore, reference is made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing description, as indicating the scope of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent the following:

1. A can top piercing tool comprising an elongated body of thin fiat steel or the like having an arcuate portion disposed intermediate angularly related free end portions and providing a convex face of substantial extent, one of said end portions constituting a handle portion, a can bead engaging hook and a pointed sharp-edged pouring hole cutter both formed at the other free end portion of said body, said cutter being directed inward and away from the adjoining free end and being bent so as to diverge from the convex face of the arcuate body portion, and a relatively small vent hole piercing lug protruding from the convex face of the arcuate body portion generally at the midpoint thereof and spaced appreciably away from the pouring hole cutter.

2. A construction according to claim 1 wherein the vent hole piercing lug is integrally struck out from the arcuate body portion in generally normal relationship thereto, and wherein the arcuate body portion extends through approximately 90 degrees with the two end portions being disposed at about right angles to each other.

3. A can top piercing tool comprising an elongated body of thin flat steel or the like having an arcuate portion disposed intermediate angularly related free end portions and providing a convex face of substantial extent, one of said end portions constituting a handle portion, a separate cutter element fastened to the other end portion, said cutter element having an integrally struck out can bead engaging hook and a pointed sharp-edged pouring hole cutter both directed inward and away from the adjoining free end of the body, the cutter being bent so as to diverge from the .convex face of the arcuate body portion, and a relatively small vent hole piercing lug protruding from the convex face of the arcuate body portion generally at the midpoint thereof and spaced appreciably away from the pouring hole cutter.

4. A construction according to claim 3 wherein the vent hole piercing lug is integrally struck out from the arcuate body portion in generally normal relationship thereto, and wherein the arcuate body portion extends through approximately degrees with the two end portions disposed generally at right angles to each other.

5. A can top piercing tool comprising an elongated body of thin fiat steel or the like having an arcuate portion extending intermediate two angularly related free end portions and providing a convex face of substantial extent, one of said end portions constituting a handle portion, a can head engaging hook and a pointed sharpedged pouring hole cutter both formed at the other free end portion of said body and directed inwardly and away from the adjoining free end of the body, the cutter being bent so as to diverge from the convex face of the arcuate body portion, and a relatively small vent hole piercing lug protruding from the convex face of the arcuate body portion at a point spaced appreciably away from the pouring hole cutter, said tool being constructed and arranged initially to pivot about the can bead during cutting of the pouring hole and subsequently to tilt by a rolling action of its convex face along the top of the can during cutting of the vent hole.

6. A construction according to claim 1 wherein the pointed pouring hole cutter and the bead engaging hook constitute unitary parts of a cutter element disposed in abutting side-by-side relationship with the other free end portion of the body with the hook and the point of the cutter being spaced somewhat inward from the outer edge of said end portion.

7. A construction according to claim 6 wherein the cutter element is formed separately from the body and is fastened thereto by rivets or the like disposed outward of the hook.

8. A construction according to claim 6 wherein the cutter element constitutes a reversely bent integral extension of the aforesaid free end portion.

. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,122,830 Acker July 5, 1938 2,195,253 Meier Mar. 26, 1940 2,500,266 Weller Mar. 14, 1950 2,599,551 Hagen June 10, 1952 2,621,402 Gutekunst Dec. 16, 1952 2,632,241 Haislip Mar. 24, 1953 2,663,076 Robinson Dec. 22, 1953 

